


Change

by detective_prince



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Lawlight Week 2017, M/M, Royalty AU, Seven Deadly Sins, greed - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 11:46:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10593360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detective_prince/pseuds/detective_prince
Summary: Things were different once. Light is no longer the person he used to be and it shows.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LawLight week 2017  
> Something of a modern royalty au, for day one: Greed

It isn’t uncommon for two boys to be seen running across the castle courtyard, hand in hand. Light dragged the man through the gardens, duffel bag held tightly in the hand not desperately clinging to L. Lessons had just ended and Light wasn't wasting a minute of his free time. Childish as it was, Light only had so many years left to act young and enjoy himself.

While the prince was free from prying eyes, L would let him be sixteen. Hell, with Light, L could allow himself to feel nineteen. He was still young, even if he'd been forced to grow up from such a young age. Sometimes it was hard to remember there was something childish within them after forcing themselves to be mature adults for so long.

Their time together, while special to them, isn't particularly phenomenal. The tennis courts are where they find themselves separating hands. Light takes shoes from his duffel bag and tosses them towards L, pulling out two rackets as well. It has been ages since he’s had enough free time to race down to the tennis courts, he’s more than ready to play. Athletics are one of his favorite distractions from the absolute monotony that was his royal duties.

"Thank you, Light." L sits down against the fence, sliding on the shoes. Slip on shoes were one of the best things to happen to him, no doubt about that. While shoes are restrictive, it's better than hurting himself on the rough ground when the match got intense.

Light waves his hand in dismissal. "After what happened to your feet the last time you played without shoes? I'm looking out for the both of us, trust me." He smirks, leaning in closer to L, "Besides, I want to give you an actual chance."

L shakes his head, smiling softly. "You know I'm the only one who actually gives you a challenge." One of the few people that wouldn't just let a prince walk all over him simply because of status. It was refreshing for them to both fully be themselves together. "I could start letting you win."

"Don't joke around about that, there's a reason you're the person I spend all my time with."

"People are going to get the wrong idea."

"Let them," Light leans in, kissing L's cheek gently and rising to his feet. "Times are changing, L. C'mon, grab your racket, I'll need time to take a shower before dinner."

L touches his cheek, grinning ear to ear. Light was too sweet, albeit far too young for him. He would wait until Light was mature enough to truly make the decision to be with him for himself. But he would stay by him and allow the innocent touching and kisses to the cheek to continue. Affection wasn't easy to come by, most potential suitors and life partners were either uninterested or not intelligent enough to keep him entertained.

The situation he was in now was strange, but he didn't want to change things despite his better judgement. They were good together.

Not to mention, he's one of the few people on the grounds who could brag about beating Light at tennis.

Unfortunately, as the years came to pass, the dynamic between them had changed. As times for the kingdom grew darker, L had become the royal advisor. His ability to analyze scenarios and come up with the best potential possibilities were unparalleled. Priorities had come into check for Light over the past four years. He had gotten suitors, though none of the women matched his taste. Finding a queen was apparently a priority, now that the kingdom was changing rulers.

Finally, the throne is his.

By no means had Light's ascension been planned, he wasn't stupid enough to kill his own father. For that, he surely would have been caught, which was completely unacceptable. A heart attack from stress almost took Soichiro's life, so Sachiko had convinced him to step down for his own health. The circumstances couldn't have been better. Light was considering a mercenary, thankfully it hadn't come to that.

He's alone in the throne room, smirking as the feeling of success washes over him in waves. Light had always been the perfect child, the sweet and loving son. Sayu had never been a threat, but he had weighed what to do had his parents been so unbelievably foolish.

Laughter bubbles up in the pit of Light's stomach and it echos throughout the room. It isn’t remotely pretty, it’s childish and choppy. He’s a spoiled brat that’s gotten his way and, God, does it show.

"That's really not becoming of you."

Light's body goes rigid with tension and he whips around to see who challenged his order to stay outside the room. Amber eyes meet deep unblinking charcoal and Light sneers in disgust.

L Lawliet, the royal advisor, of course.

Light had avoided all of their meetings thus far with plans to find an advisor whose ideals met his own. Someone far more willing to see things his way. The right way. Despite everything, Light’s father had never brought the country to it’s full potential. Soichiro was simply incapable of handling the pressure and stress that came with running a powerful influential country. From what he had seen from L’s work with his father, they would clash. It wouldn’t do.

The tension between them through the silence is palpable, so Light decides to speak. His voice is cold and cutting, he has no one here he wants to impress. “Excuse me?”

“Laughing like that while your father is still in recovery. It’s unbecoming,” L states plainly, rubbing his bare foot against his calf. How did something that used to be endearing fill him with such loathing?

“The same could be said about the way you dress, could it not?” Light retorts, eyes narrowed. He had never seen L dress professionally, granted he hadn’t sat in on important diplomatic meetings but he had a feeling the stubborn bastard didn’t change. He'd come up with some statistic that likely wasn't true and insist his intelligence was harmed by looking proper.

L moves closer, hands slipping into the pockets of his jeans. “My clothing doesn’t hinder my ability to properly advise the king of the best possible situation. In fact, it does the opposite. In restrictive clothing, my ability to properly reason and predict the best course of action drops by twenty-five percent,” L says matter-of-factly. “Your attitude and composure on the other hand? That matters for your job.”

One of Light’s hands curled into a fist at his side, but he took a deep breath. He couldn’t lose his temper and lose everything he just gained. Power. Wealth. Control. Influence. That was more important than taking anger out on L.

Light was days away from his coronation as king.

Days away from absolute power.

“You’ve changed, Light.”

As if L ever knew him well enough to know if he'd changed. He had been so quick to abandon him. Even when the kingdom had recovered, Light and L had minimal amount of interaction. L had no right to talk to him about the ways he's changed. "Pardon?"

"Light, don't act like we were never close. It's petty, the you I know wouldn't do this."

"Did you ever really know me?"

"We can dance around this all day, but you know the truth." Light can see the hurt in L's eyes at the hostility and he tries to just ignore it. "We were inseparable for a time."

Light rolls his eyes, a hand carding through his hair. "Would you--"

L wastes no time cutting him off, "You had that crush on me."

"I was _sixteen_!" Exasperation was clear in Light's voice.

"And you're quite clearly unsatisfied with your life." Light hates how blunt he is. Despises it. "You never cared for money or power like this. Your ambitions were to help the helpless, to provide and protect. What happened, Light?"

He rubbed at his temples slowly, teeth gritting together. He didn't have the time or energy to expend on such frivolous conversation. "Why do you care?"

"You were my first real friend," L pauses, shaking his head, "No, you were my only real friend."

It's things like that that remind Light he has a heart. L hasn't changed much, besides simply not having the time to be around him. It almost isn't fair. Because it makes it harder for Light to hate him. It makes him still desire L, despite everything else he's gaining. And it feels like absolute hell knowing he has no idea how to separate his head from his heart.

Light's not sure what his heart wants. But he knows he's been more than capable of taking what he wants, bold moves mean little to him.

So, when he kisses L, Light takes satisfaction in the way lips hesitantly move back against his.

The prince will always get what he wants.

 

**Author's Note:**

> It was a bit rushed, but I do hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
